Utah-based AutoPoint is considering Jacksonville for an operations or related center that appears to need space for more than 100 employees.
The city is reviewing a permit for Emerald C’s Development Inc. to build-out almost 16,000 square feet of space at the Prominence office park in Baymeadows.
AutoPoint, which provides customer-retention technology to auto dealership service departments, is posting job openings.
Its listings Wednesday included at least six titles for full-time jobs in Jacksonville, including director of strategy, database architect, data analyst and senior QA engineer.
AutoPoint already has an operation in nearby Deerwood Center at 8505 Baycenter Road, although company representatives did not return several telephone calls to explain the size of the workforce or the specific functions there. It formerly operated as DMEautomotive.
At Prominence, the renovation cost is shown at almost $463,000 for offices, conference rooms, team rooms, a break room and more elements.
Plans indicate the offices and work areas would seat at least 120 people.
Plans filed with the permits list the address as the top floor at 8375 Dix Ellis Trail, a four-level structure formerly known as the Hamilton Building.
The architect is Campbell + Van Dusen Design Studios LLC of Orlando.
AutoPoint develops technology for auto service providers to enhance motorist and customer retention. Its four key operating areas are titling, marketing, engagement and service delivery.
AutoPoint is based in South Jordan, Utah, near Salt Lake City.
It was founded in 2003 to create technology tools for dealership service departments. It formerly was a division of Mobile Productivity Inc., research shows.
Solera Holdings Inc. of Westlake, Texas, bought it in 2014. Westlake is near Fort Worth and Dallas.
The job listings for AutoPoint in Jacksonville refer to the location as US-FL-DME – Jacksonville.
DMEautomotive appears to be the existing Jacksonville connection.
DMEautomotive was part of JM Family Enterprises Inc. and DME Holdings LLC, and provided on-demand marketing campaigns, sales renewal and reactivation programs, service retention and reactivation programs, data analytics and fulfillment services for about 3,500 automobile dealers nationwide.
It was headquartered in Daytona Beach since 1982, according to a January 2011 news release. That release and its LinkedIn page say DMEautomotive has major operations in Jacksonville.
A building permit in 2012 showed DME would occupy space at the Baycenter Road building.
Solera Holdings bought DME in June 2015. In January, AutoPoint, DME and TitleTec — all automotive technology providers — integrated to create AutoPoint as a single brand.
AutoPoint appears to be exploring a move and, based on the job postings, an expansion at Prominence.
Also, the Baycenter Road structure, owned by the SET Land Trust of Deerfield Beach, is for sale or master lease.
SET Land Trust is part of JM Family Enterprises. It built the Baycenter Road site in 1975 and it was expanded in 1983.
AutoPoint and imobile3 are the tenants on signage in front, although the offering materials for the property show naming rights are available on the building.
JM Family Enterprises, the parent company of Southeast Toyota Distributors, also has a warehouse and distribution facility in Deerwood Center.
Solera, founded in 2005, provides risk and asset management software and services to the automotive and property industries.
As of August, it employed more than 5,500 people globally. It said it processes more than 240 million transactions a year for about 200,000 partners in 78 countries.
Solera went public in 2007 and then became private this year in a $6.5 billion transaction backed by investors including Vista Equity Partners, Koch Industries and Goldman Sachs.
Avison Young wins VanTrust leasing
VanTrust Real Estate LLC announced Wednesday it awarded the exclusive leasing assignment for its Nocatee office project to Avison Young.
VanTrust intends to develop 675,000 square feet of speculative and build-to-suit Class A office space in Nocatee, a master-planned community on 13,323 acres.
Ross Carrier and Mark Montgomery, senior vice presidents of Avison Young, will lead the leasing and marketing efforts for VanTrust.
The news release said they will focus on the first building, a four-story, 120,000-square-foot office building that is under design, and they also will pursue build-to-suit prospects.
@MathisKb
(904) 356-2466